A significant class of illumination means are identified as a type of system used for directing beams of light from a recessed, surface mounted or suspended ceiling into a room. Many of these commonly used systems have operating disadvantages sought to be overcome by the present invention.
Common forms of light projection incorporate conventional incandescent recessed light fixtures having a substantially cylindrical form, opening into the plane of a ceiling. A bulb is recessed therein. A conventional spotlight bulb or spot lamp may be placed in the fixture as the projection source. Spot lamps are extremely inefficient using only about 25% of the energy directed into the beam. Much of the radiation produced by the source is lost within the fixture and require baffles designed to reduce peripheral glare. The radiation that does get directed out of the fixture is generally directed with a relatively narrow angular pattern. Other types of fixtures such as track systems also use inefficient spot lamps.
Some of the problems associated with the above fixtures have been overcome by the inventor's prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,908 entitled Architectural Member Comprising Illumination System. Although this system has solved a number of problems associated with past concerns, recent energy codes do not permit the use of multiple spot floodlighting systems. Consequently, it would be highly desirable to provide a lighting system which is capable of providing extremely efficient accent light with savings in energy and bulb replacement costs while still meeting all new energy code requirements.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of controlling the divergence and directionality of light beams.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a lighting system which incorporates therein a light-conveying structure terminating in a distribution system which is effective in the control of beam divergence and directionality.
It is an even further object of this invention to provide a method of controlling the divergence and directionality of a light beam.